German Car Scene

VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI CUP SERIES ANNOUNCES VERY FIRST GUEST DRIVER FOR THE SERIES

Posted 24th September, 2008 in Volkswagen | Leave a comment

MILLVILLE, N.J. – Shane Williams from the ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup in Germany will be the first guest driver of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Race series. He will be driving in both races of the double header weekend in New Jersey Sept. 26 through Sept. 28. Williams, 21, from Capetown, South Africa, was the mid-season points leader in the Volkswagen Polo Cup.

“We are excited to have Shane joining our field of drivers as the first ever guest driver in the Jetta TDI Cup,” said Clark Campbell, motorsport manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Spectators at the double-header race in New Jersey will be in for one of the most thrilling weekends yet this season.”
Williams is currently ranked second in the Polo Cup points standings, four points behind the lead driver with one final race to go. He drives the number 4 Volkswagen Polo in his second season of competition in the ADAC Polo Cup.

Williams is also a participant in the Volkswagen student exchange program, a program established to link Volkwagen’s international one-make cups in China, Germany, Japan and the USA. It helps the drivers further their education by participating in foreign competitions, giving them the chance to take a look behind the scenes of other series and to prove their skills in completely unfamiliar circumstances.

“We created the driver exchange program to reward and challenge the top drivers in our young driver development series’ all over the world,” said Kris Nissen, Volkswagen motorsport director. “The Volkswagen Cup concept gives the young drivers from around the globe a professional introduction to factory-level motorsport, and a special incentive to further their racing careers.”

Williams resides in Cape Town, South Africa and has been karting since 2001. He has participated in the Polo Cup for the last two years, finishing seventh overall in the 2007 season championship. This year he won two races and took three additional top-three-results giving him a strong chance to win the title in the finale at Hockenheim on October, 26th in Hockenheim Germany.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series features 30 up-and-coming drivers ages 16 to 26 driving a factory managed 2009 Jetta TDI, with the goal to find the driver with the most talent and help them break into the world of professional motorsports. The winning driver will receive the opportunity to drive in a Polo Cup race, and up to $250,000 to start their professional racing career. In addition, Volkswagen of America is holding a media relations contest among drivers, the driver who secures the most media coverage for themselves and the Jetta TDI Cup will also be invited to race in a Polo Cup Race in Germany.

Races have taken place at VIRginia International Raceway, Mosport Raceway, Portland International Raceway and Lime Rock Park, after the driver selection that took place at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix, Ariz. The Jetta TDI Cup series, the first all clean-diesel race series, is sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing Inc. Sponsors for the race include: Aggreko, Athlete’s Performance, Bondurant, Bosch, ful®, Holder, Hoopla, Ironclad, Kyosho, Oakley, RedBull, UTI and ViON.

[Source: VW]